Josh Duhamel: I Want My Son to Understand He's Fortunate

Growing up in a small town in North Dakota, the actor says his parents were always involved in volunteering.

"As a kid, my mother encouraged us to get involved. But when you're a kid you don't really want to do stuff like that. You want to do fun stuff," says Duhamel, 41. "But I always remembered it being fulfilling."

Now that the actor is a father to 8-month-old son Axl with wife and Black Eyed Peas front woman Fergie, he's hoping to follow in his parents' footsteps and instill in his son the importance of helping others.

"I want my son to understand that he is very fortunate and it's important to appreciate that and give back," Duhamel says in this week's issue of PEOPLE.

He's also teaching by example. Duhamel – who organized a benefit concert with the Black Eyed Peas in his hometown of Minot after it was hit by a devastating flood in 2011 – has now joined forces with the Advil Relief in Action campaign, which encourages volunteerism.

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of volunteerism in 2013 was the lowest it's been since 2002. That is amazing to me," says Duhamel. "Programs like this encourage people to get involved. It truly brings out the best of people."

For more of our interview with Josh Duhamel, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now